By Makutu Manneh
Tobaski Sibi, a long-serving member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has resigned from the party with immediate effect, citing dissatisfaction with what he described as a lack of internal democracy. His resignation was communicated in a letter dated September 18, 2025, addressed to the party’s Administrative Secretary.
In the letter, Sibi highlighted his service to the UDP in multiple roles, including Ward Secretary, Constituency Coordinator, Regional Youth Secretary General, Regional Youth Leader, National Youth Executive Committee member, and Chairman of the Transport and Logistics Committee. He said he had taken pride in serving the party because of its democratic values, which, he now believes, have been undermined.
Sibi specifically criticized the party’s flag-bearer selection process, arguing that it sidelines grassroots participation. He questioned why the same congress of delegates that elects the national executive cannot be entrusted to elect the party’s flag bearer, a position he described as “arguably the most important for both the party and the nation.”
“This process does not reflect the democratic will of the grassroots—the true owners of the party, the militants who pay their contributions and purchase membership cards with the hope that their voices will matter when it counts most,” Sibi wrote.
He revealed that he raised his concerns with the party leader, who reportedly responded that “our democracy is premature.” According to Sibi, this response reinforced his decision to step away. “I no longer wish to associate myself with a party that claims to stand for democracy yet reduces it to premature hopes and dreams,” he stated.
Sibi also cited his experience during the National Assembly Member (NAM) primaries, claiming that despite winning convincingly, the party leadership pressured him to step aside in favor of a preferred candidate. He described this as an act that undermined fairness, representation, and the trust the party professes to uphold.
Expressing gratitude to the UDP, its leadership, and his colleagues, Sibi thanked them for the opportunities given to him over the years. However, he concluded that his democratic right to freely associate and disassociate required him to move forward “in pursuit of principles that truly align with my beliefs and values.”